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Mickey's Amateurs
Mickey's Amateurs is a 1937 animated short film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by United Artists. Originally entitled Mickey's Amateur Concert during production, the cartoon depicts an amateur talent show hosted by Mickey Mouse. It was co-directed by Pinto Colvig, Erdman Penner, and Walt Pfeiffer, and features original and adapted music by Oliver Wallace. The voice cast includes Walt Disney as Mickey Mouse, Clarence Nash as Donald Duck, Florence Gill as Clara Cluck, and Pinto Colvig as Pete and Goofy. Synopsis Mickey Mouse is hosting an amateur talent show in front of a live audience for radio, in which he may terminate unworthy performances by ringing a gong. In the first scene, Mickey's gong ends Pete's rendition of "Asleep in the Deep". Next, Mickey introduces Donald Duck, who first presents an apple to Mickey in an attempt to win him over preemptively. But Donald's recitation of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" ends badly as he forgets the words. Mickey rings the gong and Donald is removed from stage. Just as Mickey is announcing the next act, a disgruntled Donald returns to take back the apple. The next act, as introduced by Mickey, are "the two Claras: Cluck and Belle." Clara Cluck sings a clucking version of "Il Bacio", a waltz by Luigi Arditi, accompanied by Clarabelle Cow on piano. Despite several blunders, the performance is the first to avoid the gong. Next, Donald returns to stage uninvited wearing a disguise and carrying a violin case. Upon reaching center stage, Donald throws off the disguise and pulls a sub-machine gun from the case. He holds Mickey and the audience at gunpoint, determined to finish his recitation. But he again forgets the words. When the audience laughs at him, he opens fire. Donald is quickly removed from stage. For the show's final act, Mickey introduces Goofy and his "50-piece band" which turns out to be a multi-instrumental device on wheels. Goofy begins with "In the Good Old Summer Time" and moves on to "There'll Be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight". But the tempo and intensity of the song destroys the machine in an explosion. Goofy emerges from the wreckage and sheepishly admits "It busted!" Donald breaks out of Goofy's bandmaster hat and quickly recites a word-perfect recitation of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and delivers a vengeful "Nya!" at the audience. But just then, the "iris out" effect which ends the cartoon closes on his neck. He struggles to keep it open but it finally closes. This is a rare instance of a Disney cartoon breaking the fourth wall. History Mickey's Amateurs pokes fun at "amateur hour" radio shows which were popular entertainment in the 1930s and '40s. Perhaps the most famous example is the Major Bowes Amateur Hour in which the host, Edward Bowes, was known to strike a gong to stop an amateur performance. Mickey Mouse's repeating of the words "Okay, okay" in the film was recognized by audiences at the time as a parody of Bowes. Reception The Motion Picture Herald published a review of Mickey's Amateurs on June 19, 1937 saying in part "The subject must be seen to be appreciated and enjoyed. The fun it offers defies description." The film was also inspired by the 1934 Disney film Orphan's Benefit. This film also featured a stage show with acts interspersed by Donald attempting a poetic recitation. Characters *Mickey Mouse *Pete *Clarabelle Cow *Clara Cluck *Donald Duck *Goofy Voice Characterizations *Walt Disney - Mickey Mouse *Pinto Colvig - Pete, Goofy *Elvia Allman - Clarabelle Cow *Florence Gill - Clara Cluck *Clarence Nash - Donald Duck Trivia *This was the final Mickey Mouse cartoon released by United Artists. *Horace Horsecollar had disappear in this episode. *The singing voice of Pete at the beginning is provided by Pinto Colvig instead of Billy Bletcher. Releases Television *''The Mickey Mouse Club'', October 18, 1956. *''Donald's Quack Attack'', episode #4. *''Mickey's Mouse Tracks'', episode #50. Home video VHS *''Mickey Knows Best'' DVD *''Walt Disney Treasures: Mickey Mouse in Living Color'' Gallery ClaraBelle Cow.jpg 25605.jpg 25606.jpg 25607.jpg 25608.jpg 25609.jpg 25610.jpg 25611.jpg 25612.jpg 25613.jpg 25614.jpg|Donald messes with the iris-out. Mickey's Amateurs.jpg|Mickey Mouse invites Donald Duck to recite "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" 100 7085.jpg Tumblr n6s126A4fD1qhcrb0o1 1280.jpg Tumblr n7ngmg8tzO1qhcrb0o1 1280.jpg Tumblr_n9lu7nVU0M1qhcrb0o1_1280.jpg Tumblr_nabg3id6BH1qhcrb0o1_1280.jpg Tumblr_nchs1k8AOm1qhcrb0o1_1280.jpg Goofy's band machine busted.jpg Tumblr n6bl6mbMEY1rxt9glo6 1280.png Tumblr nrgoc6DpHu1r3jmn6o3 1280.png Tumblr nrgoc6DpHu1r3jmn6o2 1280.png Tumblr nrgnxknjve1r3jmn6o1 1280.png Tumblr nrgofpPvhD1r3jmn6o1 1280.png Tumblr nrgofpPvhD1r3jmn6o2 1280.png Category:Animated shorts Category:Mickey Mouse shorts Category:Donald Duck shorts Category:Goofy shorts Category:1937 shorts